Speakers tell Star Itihas Adda marking his 97th birth anniversary

From left, Editor of Chaarcha Sohrab Hassan, Editor of New Age Nurul Kabir, former ambassador Farooq Sobhan and Joint Editor of The Daily Star Aasha Mehreen Amin at the sixth edition of The Daily Star Itihas Adda yesterday. The event titled, “SM Ali’s Journalism and Worldview,” was organised at The Daily Star Centre to mark SM Ali’s 97th birth anniversary. Photo: Star

Bangladesh has yet to see another journalist who matches SM Ali, the founding editor of The Daily Star, in regional stature or in the depth of his writing on politics, economics and culture, speakers said at a discussion yesterday.

They said Ali envisioned a progressive, democratic and humane Bangladesh, and fulfilling that vision would be the most meaningful tribute to him.

The remarks came at the sixth edition of The Daily Star Itihas Adda, titled "SM Ali's Journalism and Worldview," organised at The Daily Star Centre to mark his 97th birth anniversary.

Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age and president of the Editors' Council, said SM Ali's hard work defined him as much as his talent. "He was an exceptionally hardworking man. Talent alone does not produce results unless it is matched by effort," he said.

He said Ali's readiness to endure financial hardship showed how deeply he was committed to journalism. "If he had chosen any other profession, he would not have accepted this degree of struggle."

Kabir said Ali valued training from the outset, believing professional education worked only when joined with hard work and judgement.

He said Ali's earlier writings revealed "how perceptive he was," combining experience, knowledge and vision to understand events with unusual clarity. "Many would be surprised to see how accurately he could grasp what was coming."

Kabir said SM Ali developed a liberal political consciousness early in life, influenced by thinkers like Bentham and John Stuart Mill, and matured during a period of rising global aspirations for equality.

Through these experiences, Ali emerged as a progressive thinker.

He said Ali was a liberal democrat, respectful of others' opinions, and believed in the growth of different ideas in society. He dreamt of a pluralistic society for Bangladesh and for the world.

Former ambassador Farooq Sobhan said Ali often spoke about the challenges of realising his dream: mobilising resources, maintaining independence and integrity, and building a paper comparable to the best in the region.

Sobhan recalled that when Ali returned to Dhaka to launch The Daily Star, he did so despite health concerns and leaving a secure job. "He was taking a risk, a gamble, because he believed so strongly in this dream," he said.

He said The Daily Star has flourished despite numerous challenges, surviving in the way Ali believed an independent newspaper should, by safeguarding its integrity and serving as a voice for the nation and its people.

"You are fondly remembered and your legacy thrives and will live on," he said of Ali.

Editor of ChaarchaSohrab Hasan said Ali envisioned a progressive, democratic and humane Bangladesh. "If we can build that Bangladesh, only then will our tribute to him be genuine," he said.

He said he had not known Ali personally, but his book After the Dark Night: Problems of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman left a deep impression. "This book did not feel like the work of a journalist alone. It felt like the work of a close observer of society," he said.

Hasan said Ali analysed politics, the economy, foreign relations and social instability "not just as a journalist, but as a sociologist".

Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, said he was proud to have stood beside his mentor in the last and greatest initiative of his life: building an international-standard newspaper in Bangladesh.

He said their conversations about journalistic values, ethics and responsibilities shaped his understanding of how journalism could influence society. Although Ali passed away only two and a half years after the paper's launch, the lessons and dream he left behind became the groundwork for today's The Daily Star.

Aasha Mehreen Amin, joint editor of The Daily Star, said SM Ali believed journalism was a public service, where public interest and truth must always come first.

"He valued independent journalism free from influence and insisted that the paper must never take a partisan stance. We must always remain objective, as he was," she said.

The event was moderated by The Daily Star journalist Emran Mahfuz.